Urban security is not only a matter of state actors or local authorities. Preventing and mitigating incivilities and crimes at the local level requires the participation of all the relevant stakeholders – public and private, as well as citizens, their representatives, and civil society organisations. Thus, a sustainable urban security governance should provide a platform for exchange and dialogue and be built on the principles of co-production of policies and partnerships between different stakeholders.
Crime prevention councils serve as such a platform at the local level. They may vary in structure or legal status, depending on the local, national and EU requirements, and have different objectives (that can also be combined), ranging from co-defining priorities of a security strategy and information sharing to elaborating recommendations based on urban security audits, setting communication guidelines and supporting evaluation procedures. Yet, they all serve the same purpose of involving the relevant security stakeholders and citizens in the co-production of urban security policies, which is of particular importance in the context of increasingly fragmented social ties, growing suspicion towards authorities, and polarisation.
This session, followed by a Q&A, will explore the creation and functioning of such a structure in the City of Piraeus (GR). Its Local Council for Crime Prevention (LCCP) was established within the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) co-funded BeSecure-FeelSecure (BSFS) project (2019-2023) and its lessons can be replicated in other European cities. This webconference will be the second one in a series of four, that present BSFS experience with security assessments, governance, victims’ support, and innovative use of technology to improve social cohesion and reduce citizens’ sense of insecurity.
In the framework of this session we will also have the chance to listen to the intervention of the City of Montreuil, with regards to their Local Security and Crime Prevention Council. This intervention will further nourish our exhcange on other relevant European examples.
In this session, we will ask:
- How does the Local Council for Crime Prevention (LCCP) operate in the City of Piraeus and what effect has it had on the local urban security situation?
- What is its structure like and what are its key actions?
- Who are the stakeholders involved?
- What are its main challenges and what actions can it propose to overcome them?
- What recommendations can be given to other local authorities seeking to establish such a structure and what would be the main attention points?
- What similar governance structures exist in other urban contexts?
Speakers:
- Kyriaki Bourdakou
President of the Local Council for Crime Prevention (LCCP), Deputy Mayor of Piraeus, will discuss how the Local Council for Crime Prevention (LCCP) operates and how its establishment in Piraeus contributes to better coordinated decision making.
- Loline Bertin
Deputy Mayor of Montreuil for public tranquility, cleanliness, prevention and nightlife, will present the Local Security and Crime Prevention Council (CLSPD in French) of the City of Montreuil.
